Reflections on the XVI Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean

Introduction 

From August 12th to 15th, 2025, RESURJ members and allies convened in Mexico to attend the XVI Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean. This regional meeting aimed to discuss political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental transformations as a means of advancing care societies and gender equality.  

This space, like many other UN multilateral convenings, followed the trend of exclusionary practices, shrinking civic space and dialogues that were largely disconnected from the lived realities of the communities that speakers aimed to represent. This is why we wanted to take some time to reflect on the role of civil society in these spaces and how there is a serious need to rethink the outcomes. It is not enough for the Conference to change its name to be more inclusive: If we hope to create a feminist future rooted in justice, equity, and care, we must reform our multilateral processes and transform the very way that we approach convenings of this nature. 

In this reflection, RESURJitas and allies critically reflect on the challenges experienced at the XVI Regional Conference on Women and offer solutions for a collective way forward, naming some of the obstacles to invite us all to question how we can continue to learn and challenge the way feminists show up in multilateral spaces in general. 

For the full reflection in English, click below.

For the full reflection in Spanish, click below.